Finishing wheel for shoe machinery



Dec. 26, 1961 L. J. HANSEN ETAL 3,014,317

FINISHING WHEEL FOR SHOE MACHINERY Filed NOV. 30. 1959 LOUlS J. HANSEN RICHARD E. TRAVER BY 6 &

ATTYS.

United states Parent 3,014,317 FINISHING WHEEL FOR SHOE MACHINERY Louis J. Hansen, 7550 W. 61st St, Summit, Eli, and Richard E. Traver, 366 Station Ave, Haddontield, NJ. Filed Nov. 39, 1959, Ser. No. 856,235 1 Claim. (Cl. 51-194} The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in finishing wheels and more particularly to a wheel adapted to be used for polishing, buffing, grinding and stock removal which is highly economical to manufacture and which may be maintained and operated for a long duration with nominal maintenance requirements.

The wheel of the present invention as illustrated and described hereinafter is especially suitable for use in the shoe manufacturing industry for grinding and finishing the sides of the sole and heel portions of a shoe and also for performing these operations on shoes in need of repair. The wheel of the present invention consists broadly of a relatively wide rim, a hub portion and a web connecting the hub andrim. The Wheel is adapted to be mounted at its hub portion to a rotating shaft. A cover of rubberlike material is secured to the outer peripheral surface of the rim. Adjustable means are provided for detachably securing to the outer peripheral surface of the cover a strip of abrasive material. Side plates are secured to the wheel which extend outwardly beyond the circumferential edge of the abrasive strip to serve as a guide means. Additionally, means are provided to dissipate the heat generated during operation of the wheel and also improve the speed of cutting which comprises a plurality of grooves formed in the surface of the cover intermediate the rim and abrasive strip.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided for detachably securing the abrasive strip to the outer periphery of the flexible cover which may comprise a clamping member adjustably mounted in a clamp body. The clamp body in turn is slidably mounted in the wheel extending radially thereof. A cam and lever mechanism is operatively connected with the clamping member so that the clamping member may be secured in the locked position when the abrasive strip has been positioned on the cover of the wheel. in this manner the abrasive strip may be easily removed and replaced when it is desired.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the wheel of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view having a cut-away portion showing the clamping'member in the locked position;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 showing the clamping member in the unlocked or open position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary view showing the clamping member in the unlocked or open position; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the clamp member.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and particularly to FIGURE 2 thereof, reference numeral 10 designates generally the shoe finishing wheel of the present invention, comprising a relatively wide rim 12, a hub 14 which may define a circular aperture 16 concentric with the rim '12 as shown and a web 18 connecting the rim and hub. As shown in FIGURE 3 the rim, hub and web may be formed or molded as a single unit by, for example, a casting process. The wheel is adapted to be mounted at the hub portion 14 on a shaft (not shown) having, for ex- F. add

ample, a shoulder and a threaded collar between which the wheel may be clamped or secured.

An outer cover 20 made of a flexible, yieldable rubberlike material such as neoprene is secured in a suitable manner to. the outer peripheral surface of the rim 12. In the embodiment illustrated the outer cover 20 is secured to the rim 12 by bonding. Side plates 22, 22 are provided which are secured to the rim 12 of the wheel by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced screws 24. The side plates 22 extend radially outwardly beyond the outer surface of a strip of abrasive material 26 detachably secured to the cover 26, the purpose of which is discussed in greater detail hereinafter.

In accordance with the present invention means are provided for detachably securing the strip of abrasive material 26 to the outer peripheral surface of the flexible cover 20. To this end, clamping means 28 are provided which may comprise a T-shaped clamping member 30 which, as shown in FIGURE 6, has a threaded shank portion 32 and a cross bar or clamping portion 34 extending at right angles to the shank portion 32. The lower surface of the cross bar 34 is rounded at 36 to engage within an arcuate cut out portion 38 of the cover 20. Additionally to facilitate gripping of the abrasive strip 26 between the cross bar 34 and the cut out portion 38 in the cover 20, a plurality of gripping members 40 are formed on the lower rounded surface of the cross bar 34. The T-shaped clamping member 35? is threadedly received in a clamp body 41 and is adapted to be moved axially thereof. The clam-p body 41 is slidably mounted in a chamber 42 extending radially of the wheel. In order to provide a better cushion and more positive locking of the clamp member, the rim 12 of the wheel is cut away, as indicated at 12a, at the portion underlying the clamping member 30 with the cut away portion being completely filled with flexible material of the outer cover. This adds more cushioning material under the clamp and increases the clamping action.

Means are provided to actuate the clamp body 41 and clamping member 3%) radially of the wheel. This mechanism may comprise, as shown in FIGURE 4, a cam plate 44 which is secured to one side of the web, for example, by means of screws 46. The cam plate 44 has a slot 48 therein in communication with the clamp body chamber 2. A locking lever 52 is secured to the clamp body 41 adjacent its lower portion and extends outwardly through the opening 4S and is adapted to be actuated along the cam slot 48. The cam slot has a first portion 48a inclined relative to the axis of chamber 42, actuation of the lever 52 thereof causing axial movement of the clamping member 3% and a second portion 48b extending transverse to the axis of the chamber 42 for maintaining the lever 52 in the locked position.

Actuation of the lever 52 between extreme positions along the cam slot 48 actuates the clamping member 30 between open and closed positions. With reference to FIGURE 4, when the lever 52 is in the position indicated in the solid lines, the clamping member 39 is in the closed or locked position shown in FIGUREZ. When the clamping member 30 is in the position indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, the clamping member 30 is in the extended or open position shown in FIGURE 3. In order to vary or adjust the clamping action of the cross bar 34 against the cushion member 20, the clamping member 30 may be Y adjusted With respect to the clamp body 41 by threads, the

shank 30 into or out of the clamp body 41.

The strip of abrasive material has cut out portions 54 at its terminal ends defining finger extensions 56 to facilitate assembly to the wheel. With reference to FIGURE 5 the strip 26 is applied to the outer peripheral surface ofthe cover 20 so that the fingersSd overlap and surround the shank 32 of the clamping member. When the strip has been properly positioned as indicated in FIGURE 5, the

user rotates the lever 52 toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 4 which retracts the clamping member 30 to thereby cause the gripping members 40 to engage the abrasive strip and press it against the flexible cover, thus securing the fingers of the abrasive cover in position on the Wheel. As noted previously in order to vary the pressure of the clamping member 30 on the strip of abrasive material in the locked position, the clamping member 30 is either threaded outwardly with respect to the clamp body 41 to reduce pressure or inwardly with respect to the clamp body 41 to increase pressure. Accordingly it may be seen that the clamping member may be adjusted to accommodate abrasive strips of varying thicknesses.

Another important feature of the present invention is the provision of easily removable side plates 22. This is an important feature for the reason that when, for example, a strip of abrasive material is replaced with a thicker one, it may become necessary to employ side plates having a larger diameter so that their edges overlie the thicker strip of abrasive material. This may be accomplished by simply removing the screws 24 and placing a similar plate of larger diameter on the wheel. The side plates serve as a guide when finishing, for example, the heel or sole portions of a shoe.

During operation of wheels of this type the strip of abrasive material may become extremely hot due to friction. In order to dissipate this heat during operation of the wheel in a quick and efiective manner cooling-means are provided by the present invention. The cooling means comprises grooves 60 diagonally formed in the outer peripheral surface of the cover 2%. The side plates 22 are provided With a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 62, 62 adjacent the outer periphery thereof which register with the ends of the grooves 64 so that upon rotation of the wheel the air may flow inwardly through the openings 62 of one side of the plates, through the grooves 60 and then outwardly through the openings 62 in the opposite side plate 22. The grooves 69 increase the speed of cutting for the reason that as pressure is placed on the outer peripheral surface of the abrasive strip 26 by application, for example, to the sole or heel portion of a shoe, the strip is forced into the groove 66 thereby providing a sharp diagonal cutting edge.

In order to counterbalance the radially extending clamping structure, a counterweight is provided which may comprise as shown in FIGURE 3 an adjustable stud 64 threadedly received in an opening 66 in the wheel extending radially thereof and diametrically opposed to the clamping member. This insures smooth operation of the wheel even at very high speeds.

Accordingly it may be seen that the present invention provides novel improvements in finishing Wheels for shoe machinery wherein an abrasive strip of material may be easily and effectively replaced and wherein clamping means are provided which may be easily and readily adjusted to provide the desired clamping action. Additionally means are provided for cooling the abrasive material so that development of excessive heat during operation of the wheel is precluded.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to this particular embodiment and changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the following claim.

We claim:

A finishing wheel or the like having integral hub, Web and peripheral rim portions, a resilient cover secured to the periphery of said rim, means defining a plurality of grooves in said cover extending diagonally of the peripheral surface of said cover, clamp means extending diametrically through said web portion at one side of said hub and projecting through said rim portion to detachably secure an abrasive strip to the outer peripheral surface of said cover, a pair of side plates in the form of angular rings projecting radially outward beyond the peripheral surface of said resilient cover and the abrasive strip at opposite sides of said finishing wheel, fastening means removably securing said side plates to said rim, means defining a plurality of openings in said side plates in registry with the ends of the grooves in said cover, means defining a chamber extending diametrically through said hub, web and peripheral rim portions diametrically opposite said clamp means, a counter-weight positioned within said chamber, and means adjustably securing said counter-weight in said chamber for adjustable movement in said chamber diametrically of said finishing Wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

